The midnight air was thick with the smell of sweat and betrayal, and the sound of torn flesh was echoing in my ears. My vision blurred as I parried another strike from Zakir, the tip of his blade barely scratching my neck. Sylva's laughter rang through the chaos, her movements fluid and deadly, like a serpent closing in on its prey. I was losing too much blood, and as my legs trembled, struggling to keep me standing—I saw the harsh reality. Their eyes, where there once was kinship, was gone, replaced by the cold gleam of deceit. Zakir's blade came raining down once again, slashing across my torso, tearing into my flesh. I sank to my knees, wondering where it all went wrong. I guess it was to be expected after all, what did I think was going to happen? Friendship? Bonds? Trust? In this realm where power conquers all, I was naive to think that was possible. They simply did what they needed to do to reach the top. Sylva's arm, now visible through my chest, was the last thing I saw before the world went black.

  ————————————————————————————————————————————

  I woke up to the smell of cold iron and blood, the air uncomfortably still. Where was I? The last memory that remained was of the storm that had soaked my body, the rain chilling my skin with every drop. But that was wrong. I had a nightmare, but it made no sense. I was fighting… someone. No, not one, but two. Zakir and Sylva. I could feel their names like a distant echo, their voices haunting my mind. But who were they? Why did we fight?

  As I tried to stand up, pain exploded through my body, sending me crashing back down. Only then did I realize the extent of my injuries proved to be evidence of a fight. Was I not dreaming? I looked down at my torso, half-expecting Sylva's arm to be lodged there. Nothing, almost as if that had never happened. Cuts, bruises and lacerations adorned my body, but there was something else… something that didn't make sense.

  "Didn't I die?"

  Strange, I thought. I started to take note of the unusual landscape. The trees, reaching heights I cannot fathom, and the sky, crimson red. Dragging myself to a nearby lake, intent on cleansing myself, and there, in the reflection of the water, I saw myself for the first time. My skin, pale as snow. My eyes, burning bright red. My fangs, sharp—protruded from my mouth. I was not human.

  The realization came instantly. I was not me. I was something—someone else. The body I inhabited… it didn't belong to me.

  A vampire. That was the first thought I had about my new appearance. After a few more minutes of further examination, I had concluded that I was indeed not dreaming. This was my new reality. With no idea what had happened, it seems I had been reincarnated into another world.

  After cleansing myself in the river and thinking about what had happened, I came to two theories. The first being that the nightmare I had were this body's original owner's final moments before he died. The second being that for reasons unknown to me, I was killed by people I knew. Betrayed actually.

  I recalled the nightmare. Zakir and Sylva. Their names, the slashes of steel, their cold looks. I had been their prey. But why? Why did they attack me?

  "Did I possess power? Was I a threat?" I whispered to myself as I limped along, trying to make sense of my fractured memories.

  With this newfound belief, I tried testing it, to see what else this body was capable of. As I tried to replicate moves that I saw on television in my past life, my body ached from its injuries and it was then that I realized; I don't remember anything. Despite the memories of the fight being clear as day, everytime I tried to replicate the same moves from memory, it was like trying to teach a fish how to walk. I was as unathletic as I was in my past life it seems.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Hours passed before I realized something else had changed. No longer limping and my breathing steady, I stopped once again to examine my injuries, expecting them to have gotten worse from a lack of rest. Instead, cuts were closing and bruises were disappearing. My injuries were healing at an abnormal rate.

  "Was this a side effect of being a vampire?" I thought, curious to see what else was possible. After some experimentation, I discovered a few things about my new body. Small cuts/bruises will heal instantly, while more life-threatening injuries will take longer. Also, drinking blood, even my own, amplifies my body's healing rate even further.

  "No wonder they had such a hard time dealing with me, I was basically made to be a fighter. These exceptional healing abilities are no joke." I thought, as I continued the long endless walk in search of others.

  Minutes turned to hours as I realized the trials this body's previous owner was going through, it was testing those that were physically exceptional; not someone like me, void of any combat abilities whatsoever.

  My mind started to wonder, as I started to have more questions than I began with. I thought of my brother, and the promise I made with him. I thought of my school days, my parents, making my new reality seem surreal.

  I couldn't help but remember the last conversation I had with Zhao Lin. Those words, after all this time, I think I finally understood. As a matter of fact, I don't know if I truly understand them yet. But one thing is for sure. I will not allow any more to suffer from an unjust fate. Maybe with this new body of mine, in this new world, I could fulfill his wishes.

  Deep in thought, I lost track of time and before I knew it, I approached a small clearing ahead. I could make out several shadows and as I got closer, I saw them. Zakir and Sylva, among the other demons, crying and shaking as they painted the perfect tale of heroism, how I had sacrificed myself to save them during the trials.

  They thought I was dead. They thought they had won.

  "—and that's what happened. Before we even saw what was going on, the white demon told us to run. So that's what we did. We didn't want to leave him either!" exclaimed Sylva, with fake tears running down her face.

  "White demon, who? Are you referring to me?"

  I emerged from the trees, eyes lowered, my fangs lightly grazing my lower lip. Every muscle in my body coiled, and the hatred that has been festering inside me bubbled to the surface. Personally I held no grudge against them, but it seems the soul of this previous body's owner instinctively felt otherwise. I have a debt to whomever it may be for giving me a second chance, so their resentments and bitterness are mine to carry as well.

  As I came into the clearing, shocked expressions were to be seen everywhere; especially from the two who tried to kill me earlier. Shock quickly turned to anger, as their eyes darted between each other.

  Sylva's hand trembled, her expression hardening.

  "Impossible, no one survives a crushed heart. Not even vampires like you."

  "Ah yes, quite painful actually. But you forgot the regenerative powers of vampires. How convenient that you would choose to forget" I quickly retorted, trying my best to act like how my old self would.

  I felt a strange rage course through my veins, the same hatred feeling I had watching them craft their lies. The moment hung between us, thick with the promise of violence. The undeniable urge to strike, to make them pay for what they did to me. But something held me back, a flicker of doubt. Was this how my brother felt?

  His words.

  Realizing I would have repeated history, I decided that I was going to ask the questions my brother would have asked. Find the truths like he would have done. This world, like the one I had left behind, was not black and white either. And through those shadows, I would carve out my own path.

  "That's right, Sylva, Zakir. I didn't die. By the grace of god I managed to get away, despite my heart being crushed under the monster's claws. Thank goodness you two are safe as well." I said, with a smile plastered on my face. Little did I know then, that one statement would change my fate forever.